A Lovers Lamentation
by Talulah-Bear
Summary: DH SPOILERS! DONT READ IF HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK! Ron's thoughts on the torture scene with Hermione up until Dobby's funeral. Rated T for language and intense...stuff.
1. Cries From An Angel

**We know what Harry was thinking in the cellar of the Malfoy house; listening to Hermione screaming in pain...But what was the boy who loved her thinking when he heard her screams? Ron's POV on the whole Hermione Torture scene.**

**DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE DIALOGUE BELONGS TO ME! This scene, and all the charectors partaking in it belong to Jo Rowling and her magnificent mind. I do, own Ron's inner monologue and thoughts..._And I, being a merciful Lord, granted it_...oh wait. Wrong story. NOT MINE!!!!!**

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"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback." I felt Harry twitch a bit beside me as the furious Bellatrix Lestrange ordered her wonky werewolf around. My heart was thumping so damn fast I could've danced to the rhythm, 'course that would've been hard to do considering I was still tied to Harry and Hermione, but you get the picture. 

The Lestrange womans' face contorted into a look of thoughtful considering. "Wait," she said sharply. "All except…except for the Mudblood." I felt my eyes widen out of fear.

"No!" My mouth seemed to be shouting on its own accord, and it took me a second to realize that I had in fact been the one yelling. "You can have me," My mind was working toward one goal, and one goal only. Keep Hermione Safe. "Keep me!"

Bellatrix's hand flew into my face so fast I hadn't seen it coming. The resulting smack resounded around the empty room in the Malfoy Manor. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet." She threw the werewolf his wand that she had stole earlier, and cut Hermione from Harry and I with a silver knife she'd pulled from her robes. She grabbed Hermione's hair and pulled her to the middle of the room behind her like Ginny used to carry the cat.

I couldn't see what happened next, Greyback grabbed my shoulder and whirled our entire group down a dark corridor in front of him. I wasn't exactly paying attention to what he was saying if he was saying anything; I'd failed her. I'd tried protecting Hermione by sacrificing myself, but as all great Weasley plans worked out, that hadn't done anything, and now the love of my life was stuck in a room of Death Eaters without a wand.

_Well done you git._ My thoughts were interrupted as that filthy example of a werewolf opened his ugly mouth, just to make our blood boil.

"Recon she'll let me have a bit of the girl when she's finished with her?" His raspy voice questioned cruelly, and I felt my whole body jerk uncontrollably. That bastard's lucky I was tied up. "I'd say I'll get a bite or two, wouldn't you ginger?" I was shaking out of sheer rage, and at that moment, nothing mattered more to me than murdering anything that stood between me, and the death of Fenrir Greyback.

He forced our sad little group down a flight of slippery stairs, and with a tap of his wand, opened a heavy oak door. He pushed us in via Dean's back, and slammed the door causing a ringing in my already painful brain. Before the ringing stopped, a terrible scream sounded above our heads in what I know now to be the parlor of Malfoy manor. Every second of that scream tore at my heart, leaving it raw and barely thumping.

"HERMIONE!" I bellowed and fought against the ropes binding me, causing Harry to stagger a bit to the side. "HERMIONE!" My heart was breaking as I could her every ounce of pain in that one scream.

"Be quiet!" Harry shouted, but still I barely heard him. "Shut up, Ron, we need to work out a way…"

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" My eyes burned with unshed tears. I wanted to save her, I'd take the pain she was feeling, I'd protect her…anything to make it stop. I just wanted her to be okay. Nothing else mattered.

"We need a plan, stop yelling – we need to get these ropes off…"

"Harry? Ron? Is that you?" A small and comfortingly familiar voice whispered through the darkness of the room, and I stopped yelling. A shadow accompanied some soft noises very close to my left foot. "Harry? Ron?"

I felt Harry relax slightly as he recognized the wide eyed girl staring up at us. _"Luna?"_

"Yes it's me! Oh no, I didn't want you to be caught!"

I swear to Merlin I heard the clocks ticking in Harry's head as he asked, "Luna, can you help us get these ropes off?"

Luna was silent for a thoughtful moment. "Oh yes, I expect so…There's an old nail we use if we need to break anything…Just a moment."

Another of Hermione's screams wrenched at my heart and a tear slid down my face as I fought the ropes, again trying vainly to save her.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"

"Mr. Ollivander?" I heard Luna say quietly. "Mr. Ollivander, have you got the nail? If you just move over a little bit…I think it was beside the water jug…" A few painfully slow seconds later, she was back.

"You'll need to stay still." I knew she was talking to me as she started her slow work of sawing through the ropes tough fibers.

The cold voice of Bellatrix Lestrange was the last thing I wanted to hear at that moment, but it was impossible to avoid. "I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword?_ Where?_"

My heart sunk even lower into my chest as I heard the weak and pained voice of Hermione answer. "We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Her sentence was broken again as she was tortured again, and this time I knew I had to save her. I fought with every ounce of energy I had, I kicked my legs and wriggled my arms, anything that seemed to help.

"Ron please stay still!" Luna whispered in her airy voice. "I can't see what I'm doing…"

I answered as quickly as my mouth would work. "My pocket! In my pocket, there's a Deluminator, and it's full of light!" I was pretty sure Dumbledore hadn't intended the Deluminator to save Hermione Granger from torture, but I was so desperate at that point, it didn't matter.

Luna reached into my pocket, (something I'm sure Fred and George would have commented on) and a few seconds later, the Deluminator gave a small _click_ and the room was filled with light. The random light sources, sucked from lamps in the tent, just kind of hung as if suspended in the air.

Luna looked as loony as ever, her white eyes spread wide over her small face, and after a moments consideration, I recognized the crumpled figure in the corner to be Mr. Ollivander. I couldn't see anyone I was tied to, as I was at an awkward angle, not helped any by my frantic struggling, but I knew they weren't in any better state than I was.

"Oh that's much easier, thanks Ron." Luna said and she continued sawing the rope binding us together. "Hello Dean!" She exclaimed happily as if one of her friends wasn't being tortured right above her very head.

"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, _tell the truth!_"

Another terrible scream and I felt as if I couldn't breathe.

"HERMIONE!" My shout came out as an awkward and pained sob, and my stomach clenched into a tighter ball.

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!" It occurred to me that Hermione could die while I sat in a cellar with Loony Lovegood, and I wanted to puke. Something was wrong with this universe.

"There!" Luna shouted, obviously pleased with herself. I had no time to congratulate her, as soon as I felt the ropes slacken, I was on my feet and searching for the trapdoor that _had_ to be here. Every crack, every bump on that damned ceiling was a possibility, but none seemed…trap door-ey.

Deciding that if Dumbledore could disapparate with a wand, I could too. I closed my eyes, focusing every ounce of energy on the parlor above me, and with a disappointed sigh, gave up on the vain attempt.

"There's no way out, Ron," said Luna as she stared up at me with her owl eyes. "The cellar is completely escape proof. I tried, at first. Mr. Ollivander has been here for a long time, he's tried everything." Her voice was so cheerful and airy I wanted to strangle her, but there were more important things to deal with.

Hermione's piercing scream resounded through the cellar again and it went through me like a knife through butter. Finally the help I needed arrived when Harry stood out of sheer desperation no doubt, and began running his hands along the walls searching for something unknown to both of us.

"What else did you take, what else?" That womans voice was like physical pain to me, and nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to rip every bloody limb and protrusion off of her hideously evil body. "ANSWER ME!_ CRUCIO!_" Hermione's screams tore at every part of me as I pounded the walls, dry sobs wracking my body. I had no doubt that I'd never been in this much pain. I would have sworn off of Chocolate Frogs for life…hell, I'd have sworn off of _food_ for life if I could've just helped her, taken away her pain.

Harry was searching wildly through the pouch Hagrid had given him for his birthday, pulling out random items and then discarding them as they were of no use. He pulled out the shard of mirror he'd been carting around since the year before, and gave a little start.

"Help us!" He yelled at us, and at that point I saw myself faced with two problems. The love of my life being tortured beyond belief, and my best mate going absolutely mad in the cellar of Malfoy's house. "We're in the cellar of Malfoy Manor, help us!" He seemed to be searching for something in the tiny shard, and I was about to take it away from him, but another one of Hermione's pained screams ripped through the small room and I felt my heart plummet to my nether regions. It was worse than ever and it was all I could do to keep myself from chopping off my ears with the rusty nail.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE! HERMIONE! HERMIONE!"

"How did you get into my vault?" we heard Bellatrix scream and rage like I'd never felt boiled in the very center of my being. Bellatrix Lestrange, was going to pay for this. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed painfully, and it broke my heart to hear it. "We've never been inside your vault…It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

_Atta girl Hermione._ I thought with a small smile. _Stick to your story._

"A copy!" Bellatrix screeched and I winced out of fear for Hermione. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find out easily!" I've never been so Goddamn happy to her Lucious Malfoy's voice. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

I'd almost forgotten that no good little son of a bitch was up there, listening and watching while Hermione, his classmate, was tortured mercilessly. Oh, he was going to pay for that. He thought he knew pain, he'd never fought me before.

Harry scuttled toward the goblin and whispered something inaudible into his pointed ear; I was too busy thinking of whether I should set fire to Malfoy's trousers, or hang him from the ceiling by his nose to pay any real attention to their conversation.

"Stand back. Line up against the back wall. Don't try anything or I'll kill you!" Thinking quickly, and deeply concealing the urge to burst out in laughter at Malfoy's feeble attempt at a threat, I clicked the Deluminator and the light was gone from the dark cellar.

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**It's not over, I just seperated this part into two chapters 'cause I wanted to. Actually...it might be more than two...but probably not.**

**R&R**

**PEACE LOVE AND BELLBOTTOMS**


	2. The Dirty Wench

**DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE DIALOGUE BELONGS TO ME! This scene, and all the charectors partaking in it belong to Jo Rowling and her magnificent mind. I do, own Ron's inner monologue and thoughts..._And I, being a merciful Lord, granted it_...oh wait. Wrong story. NOT MINE!!!!!**

**Thanks for all the W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L reviews! They meant soooo much to me, and I hope you like this next installment!**

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The heavy door flew open, scraping noisily on the stone floor as it did, and the shape of Draco Malfoy marched inside with his wand held out in front of him like it was going to make a difference.

He was going to die, whether he had a wand or not.

My hands balled into white knuckled fists as the sniveling little worm stepped closer to me and pulled the goblin up by his arm. With one last ferret like glare at Harry, Malfoy slammed the door and trudged up the stairs, dragging the goblin behind him.

My mouth twitched into a snarl that would've put Greyback to shame and only Harry's comforting hand on my shoulder could keep me from taking his place as Undesirable #1. With a shaky breath I clicked the Deluminator and the balls of light flew back into the air.

My heart leapt into my throat as I realized that the hand on my shoulder wasn't Harry, but Dobby. Let me just say this, I've never been so happy to see a House Elf.

"DOB –" Harry's hand (And this time I _know _it was Harry's hand) whacked me in the arm and with a terrified glance in his direction I closed my mouth. _Just like you Ron, give away the only savior we have._

Hermione would have sobbed at the sight of the miserable little Elf, shaking and shivering because he was back in the home of his former masters. Probably would've felt sorry for the bloke if my ears weren't still wringing with the painful shrieks of Hermione.

"Harry Potter," He breathed, "Dobby has come to rescue you."

Harry scratched his head. "But how did you…"

An awful scream drowned out the end of Harry's sentence; Hermione was being tortured again. My brain went numb and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming along with her. The pain I felt, while I'm sure it didn't compare in the slightest to hers, was enough to bring me to my knees. Harry continued his instructions to Dobby, and it wasn't until I noticed him struggling for words that I paid attention to what he was saying.

"Right. Dobby, I want you to grab Luna, Dean, and Mr. Ollivander, and take them – take them to…" He stammered, clearly at a loss for words.

"Bill and Fleur's," I offered, feeling strangely productive. "Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth."

The elf nodded, his giant Gregory Goyle sized ears flapping madly.

"And then come back," said Harry. "Can you do that, Dobby?"

I've never quite understood how Harry could formulate plans at drop of a hat, but Merlin's beard do I wish I had that ability.

"Of course, Harry Potter," the elf whispered and hurried over to Mr. Ollivander who looked on the edge of consciousness. It was only then that I realized how much I missed Kreacher…_Missed Kreacher?_

Damn torture messed with my mind.

Dobby grabbed the old man's wrinkly hand, and held his other one up to Luna and Dean. Neither of them moved, and I could smell their indignation.

"Harry, we want to help you!" Luna whispered and blinked her big owl eyes at me for a helpful word. I tried to smile at her, but images of Hermione, writhing in pain at the feet of Bellatrix Lestrange were passing through my mind at an alarming rate, and the end result looked more like a dry heave.

"We can't leave you here," Dean announced, raising a skeptical eyebrow at my attempt at a smile.

"Go, both of you! We'll see you at Bill and Fleur's."

Harry's eyes got a bit of a glazed over look, and I knew that his connection with Vol…Vol…You-Know-Who's thoughts was acting up. He gave a small shudder after he blocked the images, and I knew Hermione would be proud. If she was still alive.

"Go!" He ordered them. "Go! We'll follow, just go!"

_We'll follow if we make it out of here is more like it mate._

Luna and Dean, with one last wondering gaze at me, grabbed Dobby's tiny hand and they were gone with a loud _crack!_

A slippery and slimy voice, almost like decay yelled above our heads. "What was that? Did you hear that? What was that noise in the cellar?" I was reminded of a time, five years before in Flourish and Blotts, confronting Lucious Malfoy for the first time. He was just as dim witted back then.

Realization flowed over me as I stared into Harry's eyes, they would send someone down to check on us, and neither of us had a wand.

"Draco…" _Yeah, send him down here; think you've seen torture do you Malfoy? Send down your son, I guarantee you'll regret it._ "No, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!" _Bloody Hell._

"We're going to have to try and tackle him," Harry whispered and I nodded, it had worked on Mundungus Fletcher back at Grimmuald Place, it would work on Peter Pettigrew. "Leave the lights on."

Heavy footsteps signaled the approach of Wormtail, and Harry and I pressed flat against the wall.

"Stand back," Wormtail spat in his wheezy voice, it was much more convincing than Malfoy's attempt. "Stand away from the door. I am coming in."

The door flew open and Wormtail's watery eyes widened at the sight of the empty cellar.

As if we had choreographed the whole thing, Harry and I flew out of the shadows and launched ourselves onto the rat-like man. I grabbed his wand and forced it to the ceiling while Harry covered his mouth, muffling his voice. The pest gave a few kicks in the general direction of my head, but we were able to keep him under control. Too bad he wasn't Fenrir…or Bellatrix. I _really_ wanted to punch something.

Wormtail's wand shot silver sparks, and his eerie silver hand closed around Harry's throat. No way in hell, was _Scabbers_ going to murder my best friend.

"What is it, Wormtail?" The slippery voice of Lucious Malfoy called from above.

"Nothing!" I wheezed, doing my best to imitate his shrieky voice. "All fine!" Apparently the rub worked, because no more questions were asked.

"You're going to kill me?" Harry choked, bringing be back to reality. If we could control Wormtail, that brought us one step closer to saving Hermione. Harry's hands struggled against the silver fingers around his neck. "After I saved your life? You owe me Wormtail!"

I think Wormtail was just as surprised as Harry and I when his metal hand loosened around Harry's neck, and he was free of Wormtail's grasp. Harry kept his hand clasped firmly over his mouth as the wormy little Death Eater struggled even harder against our restraints. Noticing that he was fighting particularly hard for control of his wand, I snatched it out of his chubby hands.

"And we'll have that," I smiled, attempting cruelty, but achieving mediocrity, as usual.

Wormtail's watery eyes dilated in terror. His eyes slid from Harry's face, to his own silvery hand that was moving eerily towards his throat.

"No…" He gasped, and Harry pulled on the hand to stop the git from being strangled. I thought it was just a distraction, so let them struggle for a moment or so, that is…before he turned blue.

"No!"

I let go of his arm and pulled with everything I had on his silvery metal hand, but nothing was stopping it. One tiny glimpse of remorse, one hesitation from murdering someone, and Pettigrew's reward was death. Thinking only of the injustice of the situation, and not the least bit worried that he was a Death Eater, I pointed his wand at the hand and whispered,

"_Relashio!"_ Nothing happened. Pettigrew dropped to his knees, and the second they hit the stone floor, Hermione gave a dreadful scream, that was enough to make me gag. Wormtail's struggles against his hand had weakened, and with one final twitch of his purple face, he was still.

I gave Harry a reproachful look, not sure what he was going to do, but after that brief exchange, I knew he was thinking the same thing as I was. _Hermione._ We left Wormtail's body, with his hand still attached disgustingly to his throat, in the cellar, and cautiously crept along until we reached the drawing room.

The door was just barely open, and I could now clearly see Bellatrix Lestrange (The dirty wench) standing over the goblin, who was holding the sword of Godric Gryffindor in his long fingered hands.

Nothing drew my gaze as much as the only slightly twitching shape of Hermione on the floor. My heart thudded painfully against my ribcage and my already clenched and tightened stomach flip-flopped around the empty cavern that was my body. If she didn't make it out of here alive, if she died because of my in-ability to save her…

"Well?" Bellatrix asked the goblin, who looked ruddy awful compared to her. "Is it the true sword?" Harry drew in a deep breath beside me, and I finally knew what he'd been talking to the goblin about. He'd told it to lie, and God I hoped it had the sense to listen to him.

"No, it is a fake." The little goblin answered shakily, and I could have hugged him…had he not been surrounded by Death Eaters.

"Are you sure?" Bellatrix panted with a deranged and psychotic look in her eyes. "Quite sure?"

"Yes," the goblin answered dutifully. The deranged look left Bellatrix's face, and relief showed on her every pore.

"Good," she said, and without any apparent second thought, flicked her wand and left another deep gash in the poor goblin's face. He shrieked with pain and dropped to her feet, where she kicked him aside and addressed the whole room.

"And now, we call the Dark Lord!" My eyes grew so wide I felt like Luna, and fear blossomed from my clenched-flip-flopping stomach. _You-Know-Who was coming…and we had no way of getting out until Dobby arrived. All we had to do, was stay hidden until we could reach Hermione, stay quiet…and everything would work…_

"And I think," Bellatrix said after she pulled her finger from the Dark Mark on her left arm. "We can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, taker if you want her." Fear like I'd never felt in my life filled my whole body, and without thinking I leapt into action, not caring, or even realizing what could or would happen to me.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I burst into the drawing room with a savage cry. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, and nothing mattered except keeping Hermione away from that werewolf. Bellatrix's wand flicked in my direction, and before a sound could escape her lips, I went into action.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ I bellowed, pointing Wormtail's wand at her. Hers flew into the air, and Harry, who was right behind me, caught it. I faintly heard Harry stun someone behind me, but my eyes were locked on one target, and one target only. The seemingly lifeless body, of Hermione Granger. Jets of light singed past me and I saw Harry dive behind a couch for cover. My eyes flicked back to the spot Hermione had been in only moments before, and with a horrified gasp, looked upon Bellatrix Lestrange instead; her knife pressed against Hermione's neck.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Another vicious snarl formed on my mouth and Wormtail's wand flicked up towards her face. "Drop your wands," she whispered with a voice so full of venom I actually shuddered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!" _A right sight cleaner than yours I reckon._ I thought and stood up to my full height, still wearing a snarl. "I said drop them!" She screeched and pressed the blade into Hermione's throat, just hard enough to draw blood.

"All right!" Harry shouted from where he stood behind the couch and dropped his wand with a noisy clatter. I followed suit, my eyes locked on the beads of blood dripping down Hermione's neck. I raised my hands to shoulder height and finally met Bellatrix's eyes.

"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches." As every slippery word spilled from her lips, I knew she spoke the truth. Unless we got lucky, and we rarely did, we were going to be dead within the hour. Draco shuffled over and picked the wands up, I was fighting with everything I had not to kick him in the teeth.

"Now," she said calmly as if this was as everyday as going to the market. "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight." I drew a heavy breath and clenched my shaking hands into fists for the second time that night. With the snarl still present on my lips, I watched as Hermione was dropped to the floor by a screaming Bellatrix, and the chandelier from above crashed down upon Hermione's still body.

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**R&R! Please and thank you**

**PEACE LOVE AND BELLBOTTOMS**


	3. The Sky is Falling

**Well, here it is! Sorry it took so long for it to be posted, but with the new semester at school starting, it's a little hard to find time to write. This chapter's a bit shorter than the others, but it just seemed like the right place to end it. **

**I need some help kids, I'm having alot of fun writing this little...thing; but I have no blasted idea if I should keep going or not. This Will Not be the last chapter, but I need to know where to stop. Should I go to the end of the book? Should I stop it after Dobby's funeral? I need input people...please let me know!**

**DISCLAIMER: In case any of you haven't noticed, I AM NOT J.K. Rowling...she's the best writer...and I'm no where near her expertise. Just in case you hadn't noticed.**

**Please R&R! Mucho Appreciated.**

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The chandelier crashed to the floor with a crystal explosion, and at that moment, I stopped breathing. Hermione and the goblin were directly under the thing when it landed, and there was no way, _no way_, they had survived that. 

I heard a satisfying and pained scream from behind me, and whirled around to see Draco Malfoy doubled over, his hands covering his bloody face.

If a few shards had done that to Draco…

Hermione was right under it… no way she was still alive; but I had to be sure.

I sprinted to the wreck and caught a glimpse of bushy brown hair, stained with blood.

_Bloody hell._ My mind froze and for a moment the only things in the world were me, and that patch of bloody hair.

"_Stupefy!"_ I heard Harry yell and his voice snapped me back to reality. I pushed a mound of crystal and chains out of the way and Hermione's beautiful head was free of the wreck, I couldn't tell if she was alive or not, but she was getting out of that mess if it was the last thing I did; given the current situation, it very well could've been.

With another jingle of chains, Hermione's entire upper body was free, and I could finally pull her out. Grabbing her under her armpits, I pulled with everything I had and at last she was free.

I held her like that, with my hands under her armpits for I don't know how long, with my head bowed onto her shoulder and dry sobs wracking my body. She was out, but was she alive?

"Ron! Catch and go!" Harry shouted from somewhere behind me and by the tone in his voice we were leaving at last. Dobby had returned without my noticing, and once again I was overwhelmed by the urge to hug the little House Elf.

I caught the wand Harry threw at me as though it was no effort at all, and pulled Hermione's legs into my arms with likewise ease.

Dobby stepped forward and grabbed Hermione's dangling hand, and held his other one up for Harry. A second later we were spinning into the black oblivion that had always given me the shivers.

_Hermione please be okay, look at me please…_ My thoughts were focused on the still face of my best friend and the girl I loved…just hoping that I would hear her voice again.

The added weight didn't make disapparating any easier to do, but there was no way in hell that I was going to let go of her.

Dobby's hand was shaking Hermione's whole arm, and with tremendous effort, I managed to look down to see why…The silver hilt of Bellatrix Lestrange's knife…the knife that cut Hermione…was sticking out of the heaving chest of the poor little Elf. My grip nearly slipped on Hermione's limp body at the sight. Dobby…dead. The thought was too hard for me to deal with so I ignored it and focused again on getting Hermione to safety.

And then my feet slammed hard on solid ground, and my nostrils filled with the smell of the Ocean. We'd come to the right place. Without looking back at the dying elf or Harry, I sprinted as fast as possible up to the front door of my brother's cottage.

Seeing as how both of my hands were taken, and I wasn't too keen on the idea of banging my head on the wood, I kicked both feet repeatedly on the door and waited for the sound of footsteps.

"Bill open up!" I shrieked, and though I was trying to ignore it, even I could hear the desperate pleading in my voice. With a jolt of anxiety I realized that they didn't know who was banging on the door. "Bill it's me, Ron!"

A few seconds of silence later and I was ready to blow the damn door off of its hinges, but then I heard Bill's voice from the other side of the door.

"Prove it!" He shouted.

One look at Hermione's slowly paling face told me she wasn't doing well, and I'd be damned if Bill wasn't going to let me in.

"I don't have time!" I sobbed and aimed another frantic kick at the door. "Hermione's hurt Bill, she needs medicine…please!"

The few seconds that it took for him to open the door were almost painful, but then it swung open, casting a ray of light onto the otherwise dark lawn. Bill looked older then he had when I'd visited them over Christmas, his hair was disheveled and great purple bags lined his eyes.

"Ron what in Merlin's name is…" His sentence was cut off as I rushed into the house and looked to Fleur for assistance.

"Where can I put her?" I asked quickly and was surprised to hear the power in my voice. Fleur's eyes were wide and fixed on Hermione as she pointed a shaky finger at the couch in the drawing room.

I crossed the kitchen in two strides and rested Hermione's limp body on the couch.

Barely conscious of the fact that there were other people in the room I brushed her bushy hair out of her face and cradled her head in my hands.

"I'm so sorry Hermione." I whispered and a tear dripped down my face onto hers. "Please be okay."


	4. Not for Male Eyes

**I really want to thank EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter, all of them in fact. They've been my inspiration and they really do make a writer feel better about their work. You guys have been so great, and keep them coming! **

**Another thing I have to say, is that I do realize that this chapter is extremely short, (and I promise it's not the last) but I was bored and I had the urge to write something, so this came out of my boredness I suppose. The next chapter will be longer, and probably will be the last one of this particular story. I really love writing Ron's POV, so I might do some more...Shell Cottage over Christmas perhaps? (Thanks to a reviewer...I'm too lazy to to check who.)**

**R&R please! They _really_ do help.**

**PEACE LOVE AND BELLBOTTOMS x 2, because I forgot it last time.**

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"Ronald, what 'as 'appened to her?" Fleur's voice behind me just about shot me out of my skin. I'd been so enveloped in the world that only involved me and Hermione; I'd forgotten that there was another one.

I withdrew my shaky hand from Hermione's face and took a deep breath. "I can't tell you that." I answered truthfully, though I wanted nothing more to tell someone, to pass the burden on so that I could again retreat into Hermione's world.

With an indignant sigh, Fleur placed a hand on my shoulder and said with alarming likeness to my mother,

"Well you must leave neverzeless, she 'eez in need of medicine." I stood up so fast at that I almost knocked that little French bat over.

"I'm not leaving." For the first time since she had married my brother, I had the overwhelming urge to call her 'Phlegm' and then laugh at the snort of disapproval she was sure to send my way. Somehow or another though, I managed to control the urge; I guess Harry's control in tense situations had started to rub off on me.

"Yes you will." She spat and rested her hands on her hips to prove the point. "She has injuries in areas not intended for male eyes, you will leave now Ronald."

I could feel my ears turning pink as she mentioned Hermione's' 'areas not intended for male eyes.'

"Oh," I said awkwardly. "Where's Har…"

"Ron, Dean, Harry needs your help." Bill interrupted and for the first time I realized that Dean and Luna were also in the room for us. Just goes to show how observant I am.

"Why, what's wrong?" Dean asked and stepped forward towards Bill.

"The House-Elf needs burying." He said and my stomach, which had so far been having a horrible night, flipped over again and my hands resumed shaking.

_Dobby's dead. Dobby's dead._ Realization flooded over me, I had seen the poor little elf dying, with the hilt sticking out of him like a pin-cushion, and I hadn't given it a thought since that moment. He had saved our lives, and now he was dead.

"Dobby?" Luna muttered in her airy voice and for the first time since I had met her, back when we still called her Loony Lovegood, she was crying.

"Er," I said, trying to wrap my mind around the gravity of the situation. Hermione injured, Dobby dead, Luna crying…damn that was a bad day. "Right. Dean let's go." My voice was heavy with strain, each and every word was hard to get out. We had experienced so much in that one day, it seemed a crime that we were still alive.


	5. Pain of Spades

**I know I know, I said this would be the last chapter and everything...I also said it would be alot longer. I lied. It was going to be the last chapter, but I liked it so much how it was, I decided to end it where I was. I'm VERY proud of this chapter for no reason other than I love Ronald and Hermione...I'll try to get the last chapter up today, or at very least tonight.**

**R&R please, I like smiling.**

**Oh yeah, and just for the record...I own NONE of this, it's J.K. Rowling sandbox. I just play in it.**

**PEACE LOVE AND BELLBOTTOMS**

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"Damn it!" I shouted as yet another spade toppled off of the shelf and onto my outstretched hand. I pulled the blasted thing off of my hand and sucked my now bleeding knuckles.

"You okay there Ron?" Dean shouted through the cluttered garage of my brother and his wife. How they had accumulated so much useless rubbish in five or six months of marriage, I'll never know.

My mouth opened to answer him, to let him know that I hadn't been beheaded by a toppling shovel, but my answer stuck in my throat. I couldn't very well say yes, for there was no way, in any shape or form that I was in fact okay. Emotions that I'd been holding back since those damn snatchers had caught us surged forward and I suddenly found myself swearing so obscenely I could have put the garden gnomes at the Burrow to shame. I whacked a bottle of flesh eating slug repellant across the garage with the spade and hit the floor so hard with it my whole arm shook.

Fear for Hermione's life, Harry's life, everyone in my bloody family's life. Pain at listening to my best friend being tortured. I can't even understand everything that I was feeling, but I was sure as hell scaring Dean.

"Ron?" He asked after braving the mountain of clutter separating us to check on me. Noticing my bloody hand, that was now dripping onto the floor as I had taken it out of my mouth so that I could scream, he raised an eyebrow. "It's not that bad Ron, Fleur'll be able to fix it once we get back inside."

"Why!?" I shouted and he slipped on a dirty rag in his haste to back away from me, no doubt scared of meeting the fate of the slug repellant. "Am I so bloody useless that I can't even protect my friends from pain?" I screamed and sat down on a nearby flower pot. Angry tears dripped down my face and I held my head in my hands, ready to explode into a million pieces. I was shaking so hard I'm surprised the flower pot wasn't reduced to rubble. "I can't protect them…her. How could I let that happen to Hermione?" I asked the whole universe, though apparently Dean was the only one that heard, because nobody else answered.

"It's not your fault mate." He said and rose carefully from his place on the floor, realization that I wasn't screaming about my hand spreading across his face. "You couldn't have done anything, you were stuck in the cellar the same as us."

I had always liked Dean; it was pity at that moment I wanted to beat him with the spade I was still wielding madly.

"No, I should've tried harder. I should have…I should have…" Words eluded me once again and I hung my head. There was no way Dean could understand what I meant, no way he could feel the way I felt.

Hermione Granger was the smartest person I knew, my hero. I was so hopelessly in love with her it hurt ever second I wasn't with her. I had spent seven bloody years arguing with her almost incessantly about the most useless things, and not once, not _once_ had I told her how I felt. Never had I confessed my true feelings to her; the thought that she didn't share them was just too much for me to handle. If she had died without knowing that I loved her, if she had died without me apologizing for all the arguments, if I had lost Hermione…I wouldn't be able to go on.

Harry was my best friend, I loved him as much as any of my brothers, but Hermione…I would have died a million times over to save her from one ounce of pain. I would have chopped all my limbs off to save her from torture, and I would have given anything in the world to kiss her.

"I should've been there." I finally said, and Dean nodded in understanding. He knew what I meant, and he wasn't going to press me for more details. I knew I liked him.

"I've got mine, pick that thing up and we'll go help Harry eh?" He asked and held out his arm to help me up. I gripped his wrist thankfully, I'm quite sure I wouldn't have been able to get up without it.

"Thanks Dean."


	6. Still Strong

**I'm sad to report that this is the LAST chapter of my little...thing. I had so so much fun writing it, and I'm ever so grateful to those of you who have kept with it, reviewers and otherwise...it is to you that I dedicate this final chapter. Without you...It wouldn't be here, and I would be sad...and bored.**

**(I just have to say how proud I am of this particular part, and I want you to pay SPECIAL attention to it.)**

**Thank you so so much for your help and suggestions, look for more from me!**

**PEACE LOVE AND BELLBOTTOMS!! (The Finale.)**

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"How's Hermione?" Harry asked me from his place in the hole he was digging; I would have laughed at his face, covered in mud and tufts of grass…had I been able to.

"Better," I said. "Fleur's looking after her." For all I knew Hermione was dead, but I didn't want to let Harry know how bad she was, he had enough on his plate already.

Without a seconds' hesitation, probably to divert the attention from Hermione, Dean leapt down into the hole beside Harry who shot me a questioning look.

I managed a small half-smile in his direction before jumping down beside them with my shovel.

When Charlie had been younger, and still living at The Burrow, he would go out into the garden whenever he was mad, and weed like no tomorrow. Mum always liked it; I honestly think half the time she yelled at him to get the work out of him. I never quite understood it, the satisfaction that is, until I dug that elves grave.

Burning muscles have a way of taking your attention off of other things. The steady beat of my arms was enough to block all other thoughts from my brain, and quicker than my mum could cook a chicken, it was done.

After a few moments of utter bewilderment, I realized that the other two had stopped digging. I heaved myself onto the edge of the grave with my aching arms and sighed deeply; whether from exhaustion or peril, I'm still not sure…the look on Harry's face wasn't helping any either.

Harry had this sort of forlorn look about him that was almost terrifying. Harry Potter was never scared, he was invincible, and the best wizard or our age…he was never unsure of anything. He laughed in the face of danger, and could slay anything that tried to harm him. Harry Potter…my best friend; he was the bravest person I knew, and I'd never in the seven years I'd know him, seen him so lost.

I noticed Dobby's tiny body, wrapped in what I could only assume was Harry's jacket, lying near where Harry now sat, staring at the little elf's body as though it was going to spring up and eat him.

Either he realized that it would be impossible for the dead elf to eat him, or he gave up hoping he was dreaming I'm not sure, but he reached out and tightened his jacket around the pale elf, protecting his frail body from any other harm.

I suddenly pictured Hermione in the library, so many years ago, slaving over her S.P.E.W badges because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of these pathetic little creatures. Alright, so it wasn't the best memory of her that I had, but it was all I could think of, and before I knew it, I was pulling my socks and shoes off and placing them on Dobby's little feet, for no other reason than it seemed silly to be buried without something covering your toes.

Dean seemed to take the hint; though I'm not sure he understood entirely why we were clothing a dead house elf. He handed Harry his hat, which muffled Dobby's giant bat ears and made him look almost like a human baby…_this_ didn't help any with my growing sense of queasiness.

"We should close his eyes." I didn't even have to look behind me to know who was speaking; I would recognize the annoyingly breathy voice of Luna Lovegood anywhere.

After blinking a few times to make sure that my mind wasn't playing another cruel joke on me, I realized that the ruffled and scratched person standing next to Fleur, supported by my brothers outstretched arm, was Hermione. With every step she took towards me, I could feel my heart beginning to beat again, and my stomach, my poor poor stomach, was finally unclenched and still.

_She was alive._

If I could count as high as Percy, I would know how many emotions were running wild through my body at that moment, but as it was, I didn't.

Within seconds she was standing near me, and the only thing I wanted to do was kiss her heavily and profess my undying love for her, but just wrapping my arm around her waist made my ears burn red, so I decided to hold off the confession until a more…private time.

Hermione, my sweet Hermione, rested her head on my shoulder with a look of sheer exhaustion on her scratched face, and blinked away tears when her eyes fell upon Dobby's motionless body.

"Poor Dobby." She said in such a feeble whisper that I'm quite sure I'm the only one who heard it, even through the thundering silence that had gripped our sad little funeral party.

I felt a rush of affection for Luna as she knelt down and pressed her fingers gently on Dobby's eyelids, closing them so he could sleep peacefully now.

"There," She said with another airy sigh. "Now he could be sleeping."

Hermione and I moved slowly out of the way for Harry, as he was now placing the elves limp body in the grave that had taken so long to dig, for such a worthy cause.

"I think we ought to say something, I'll go first shall I?" Luna asked, and seeing that not one of us had any objection, addressed the elf at the bottom of the grave.

"Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now."

She ended her recitation, and turned towards me expectantly. I cleared my throat out of nervousness and grief. "Yeah…thanks, Dobby." I wanted to say so much more, but I feared if I said anything else I might start crying, and I had to be strong. For Hermione, for Harry, for Dean and Luna, for my family and Fleur, and most of all for the tiny elf that lay at the bottom of the hole, placed haphazardly between two bushes…I had to be strong for the House Elf that had risked, and given his own life to protect ours. For the little elf who had died protecting the freedom of the wizarding world that he had been enslaved by for his whole life. It's because of him that we were able to carry on, and it's because of him, that I'm still strong.

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**Fin.**


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